Senior Citizens – Happy people in happy families – By Hilda D’silva Kallianpur.

kallianpurdotcom : 27/03/23

Mother Earth is a beautiful place to live in. A person enters this earth to play a vital role in a family, to grow and multiply, to enjoy, to experience and finally depart. In the process called life, family is the center stage where a person lives and leaves behind his/her footprints. There was a time when people related by blood lived together, elders irrespective of their age, stature or health were respected and obeyed. Children loved them and sought a chance to serve them. Of course, change is the order of the day. Today we step into nuclear families. Youth, children busy in their career and studies and elderly parents fear old age, fear their uncertain future. The question is, are senior citizens happy people in happy families?

Majority of senior citizens fear old age and the problems associated. To the young, they seem to be a burden. The end result is unhappy elderly people in unhappy families. Senior citizens have turned into obstacles. But life is a circle – what goes around has to come full circle. Today’s youth are senior citizens of tomorrow. A senior citizen myself, if we glance around us, senior citizens are a productive group contributing so much to society. Aren’t our administrators, politicians, doctors, scientists, CEO’s, health workers mostly senior citizens with expertise? A study titled ‘60 plus is no age bar’ reveals interesting facts about senior citizens. A study in America has deduced that the most productive age in a person’s life is 60 – 70 years. The supporting facts are 

• The average age of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies is 63
• The average age of pastors of hundred biggest churches in America is 71
• Average age of Popes is 76
• Politicians and administrators all over, are mostly between the age of 55 years to 70 years.
• Scientists and innovators have gifted the world with inventions and innovations in their productive and mature age span.

Though we console ourselves with streaks of optimism, reality confronts us with alarming facts. Though we call ourselves progressive, the stark reality is that the elderly are abused, beaten and threatened in their own homes. Poverty, inadequate social security, greed of family members, loneliness, sickness, miserable conditions of old age homes make the twilight years a living hell.

We senior citizens should help ourselves, make our lives productive, enjoying the bonus time at our disposal amidst adversities. Here are a few tips for us to follow each day.

1. Happy disposition – In very simple words, let us not be boring personalities youngsters try to avoid. Our association with different people should be a meeting of fun and pleasure. Just because we are advancing in years, we need not have too much self pity and die each day while we are still living. 
2. Health is priceless wealth – To remain healthy we have to eat to live and not live to eat. To keep the mind alive and healthy, meditation, reading, mind games are essential. Body needs exercise, the easiest is walking. Regular health check ups, avoiding too much drinking, No to smoking and a happy disposition are very important in maintaining good health. 
3. Active lifestyle – Constant companions of senior citizens are lethargy, fatigue and weakness. Unless we put in constant effort to remain active, loneliness and despair creep in. Open mind to learn new things, puzzles and games in our mobiles, reading, meeting people do help us to be active. 
4. Spiritual nourishment – Prayer, reading the bible and other holy books, catholics attending daily mass, praying the rosary give nourishment and contentment as we advance in years. 
5. Hobbies and Interest – In advanced countries, public libraries enable the elderly to participate in public speaking, debating, dancing, painting, knitting, tailoring and so many other activities. There are groups of the elderly who meet and exchange ideas. In the houses, gardening is a regular hobby, refreshing the mind and body. We must resolve to have a hobby in hand. 
6. Travel and holiday – We, in our society curb our desires to enjoy when young, because we want to sacrifice and save for our children. Today, with changes in society and family fabric, it is very essential to have retirement planning. Let us enjoy life by visiting new places and cherish the company of our friends. Time, as we all know, does not wait for us forever.
7. Bank Balance – As elders, it is crucial for us to make our children self sufficient by investing only in their education. We have to plan for our lives, save and think of healthy bank balance. We see around us, the abuse of the elderly who are at the mercy of children.
8. No competitive attitude and envy – Envy and competitive attitude destroy our health and happiness. Always envying those who are more wealthy and successful and indulging in gossip will make the lives of the elderly a hell. Instead, thanking the almighty for the numerous blessings makes life fruitful. 
9. Minimum interference and few words – After shining in top ranks and positions, senior citizens retire from active service. Once retired, the elderly are only parents and grandparents sharing their experiences. We senior citizens have to take a back seat, not impose our opinions on children and grandchildren. Instead, following the path of non interference, suppressing our ego, it is better for us to advise or speak only when consulted. This policy will win the hearts of our loved ones. 
10. Death, the fact of life – Finally, the end is death. It can be painful and difficult. But if we prepare ourselves, cultivate a sense of detachment, we can meet the creator with a sense of fulfillment. Let the end be free of regrets, suppressed grievances and sorrow. 

We all have to die. What is more important is to leave behind something that will remain forever in society.